Mastery of Design: The Torre Abbey Jewel, 1540-1550

The Torre Abbey Jewel
1540-1550
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today’s sparkly thing is another Memento Mori. This time, it’s a pendant in the form of a skeleton in a coffin. The piece is rendered in gold, and enameled in white and black, with the remains of opaque pale blue, white, yellow, translucent green, and dark blue enamel on the upper scrollwork.


The pendant would have hung from a chain to serve as a powerful reminder of the Latin term meaning “Remember you must die.” The skeleton and coffin reminded the wearer that death was certain, as was the Lord’s judgment, and thusly, it encouraged a virtuous life.

An inscription on the pendant further reminds that the wearer not fear death, stating in English that through Christ's resurrection - his sacrifice on the Cross and his rising from the dead - we are all “sanctified” or made holy.

The V&A bought the jewel for £21 in 1856. This curiosity was believed to have been found in the grounds of Torre Abbey in Devon. That fact does not necessarily mean that it had any connection with Torre Abbey when it was a monastery. The jewel appears to date from no earlier than the 1540s.